


From a Distance

by Taggerung



Series: Fallout Romances [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, No Beta, Pre-Relationship, We Die Like Men, maybe OC?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-27 20:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18746560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taggerung/pseuds/Taggerung
Summary: MacCready follows the boss. That's his job. He didn't think he'd enjoy it this much.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Edited 5/9/19

Robert Joseph MacCready wasn’t afraid of Winlock and Barnes, not really. Not like he was afraid of hordes of feral ghouls or something happening to Duncan or the cold fear of being alone. But there was something in their eyes, when they’d finally managed to hunt him down at Goodneighbor that made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up.

He’d been in Goodneighbor for awhile, long enough for Charlie to give him a sarcastic response when he’d skip dinner again. Long enough for Daisy to throw him the occasional easy job and KLEO to cut him a major discount on ammo. Long enough to hear interesting conversations, the locals forgetting about him in his chair in the VIP room. Conversations about missing spouses, cheating partners, potential jobs. Sex. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t listen more intently to those conversations, especially the stories about men or women on their knees for their partner. The idea of it warmed him, made him think he wasn’t alone in his strange desires. Not that he knew what it was that he wanted or had even done it. No, Lucy hadn’t been interested really in sex, MacCready had known that, been fine with it. And then she’d gotten pregnant on one of the handful of times they’d indulged and she’d wanted to be touched less and less. And he’d never complained because she was so good to him, so kind and understanding and sex wasn’t something he’d known much about anyway. As long as she was willing to lay next to him when they could both sleep, willing to hold his hand and let him rest his head in her lap, he didn’t really need much more. But he’d heard a few conversations, listened intently, tucked into his scarf so they wouldn’t see his blush. And he was a captive audience. 

So when Winlock and Barnes approached him, threatened him, it wasn’t much to snark at them. Give them a razzing. He’d known it wasn’t the smartest plan but, realistically, he wouldn’t be in Gunners territory and if he didn’t get a paying job soon, he was going to have to sneak away, tail between his legs, and go back to the homestead. He couldn’t save Duncan, couldn’t even get the caps together to pay someone to help him get the cure. He’d known it was far fetched, dangerous at best and suicidal at worst but it hadn’t stopped him from trying more times then he’d had sense. 

Of course, him snarking at those as-jerks was when the biggest man MacCready had ever seen walked in the room. He was tall, broad shoulders, and he radiated a confidence and danger that made the room have an edge. His wild red hair was tied into a messy bun with wisps escaping. He wore a pair of goggles on his forehead like they were meant to be and he was stupid or confident enough to wear a sleeveless shirt, pip boy and arm guards and thick dark lines of tattoos setting off ruddy skin covered in freckles and the pulled, gnarled scar tissue. It was his face though; high cheekbones, bright blue eyes and more freckles, a permanently smiling mouth, and a deep scar starting at the top of the left side of his face and ending above his lips with offshoot scar tissue; that really pulled the attention. 

His armor was good, mismatched pieces but it looked strong, resting over his shirt and vest. His pants were tucked into black combat boots and he was absolutely decked out in weapons, two thigh holsters, a shotgun slung over a giant backpack, a messenger bag with a long sheath attached to the handle that had a wicked black hilt. It took MacCready a few heartbeats to even notice the man’s companion, a giant dog, black and grey, sitting obediently behind him. The dog was probably bigger then MacCready when he stood on back legs and he’d definitely eaten better based on the healthy coat and size of the thing.

He snapped back to Winlock when they threatened him again, trying to calm his racing heart. Da-dang, that man was the most attractive person MacCready had even seen walking into the Third Rail. When they took their last shot and finally left, MacCready found his arrogance, words forming a thick barrier to protect himself. Man like that was dangerous and, based on how nice and expensive his stuff was, probably wasn’t looking for a merc like him. 

“Look, pal. If you're preaching about the Atom, or looking for a friend, you've got the wrong guy. If you need a hired gun... then maybe we can talk.” 

“From what I just heard, sounds like you're out of business.” Christ, even his voice was attractive. It rumbled with a hint of amusement hanging.

“Are you kidding me? I'm not about to let a couple of Gunner rejects stand between me and a solid payday.” He needed this and it sounded like the man was actually considering it.

“Sounds like you can handle yourself, but I worry about those guys throwing a wrench in the works.” His hands rested on his hips, making him take up that much more space in the room. 

“If you're worried about Winlock and Barnes, don't be. They couldn't kill a squirrel with a rocket launcher. Now, what about you? How do I know I won't end up with a bullet in my back?” MacCready’s instincts told him he’d be safe and he tended to trust them the most. Especially after Lucy. He hadn’t wanted to stop, told her it was too dangerous but she was so tired and he couldn’t carry her and Duncan. 

“All I can give you is my word... and a bunch of caps.”

“Bunch of caps, huh? Okay, hotshot. Price is 250 caps... up front. And there's no room for bargaining.” He laughed.

“There’s always room for bargaining. But I need this done and I need it now. Here’s 300, eat something and get some bullets. Maybe a grenade or two. We’ve got to hit this shit hard and I need you to not pass out on me. I’ll be waiting at the door to Goodneighbor in an hour. Be there.” The man dropped a bag of caps on the table and MacCready scooped it up. He looked at him with sharp eyes.

“Alright boss, you’ve got yourself a gun.” And he left, doing what the man said, grabbing some food from Daisy’s store and giving her a quick hug before buying a three grenades and a box of bullets. He’d had five caps left over thanks to Daisy and KLEO cutting him a deal so when he went to meet the boss, he tried to hand them over while chewing a mutfruit.

“Nah, keep it.” He looked at him with sharp eyes and MacCready felt like he was being sized up. He straightened his shoulders instinctively and the man huffed.

“Sorry, habit. I’ve got two jobs you can help me with now, I gotta go help a settlement for Preston and then do some work here in Goodneighbor. You do a good enough job with those, I’ll give you another 250 caps for the second job, a take of the loot, and I’ll consider hiring you on long term. I’ve got supplies and I’m willing to share if you need first aid, just tell me. I collect things so if you spot a desk fan, duct tape, light bulbs or typewriters, call them out, I scrap them for parts. You shoot who I tell you to shoot, you do as your told, and you listen to my orders and we’ll get along swell.”

“Sure thing boss.” MacCready said, forcing his shoulders back into their normal slumped and curved. The man nodded, smirk on his face like he knew what MacCready was doing and they set off.

He was a good traveling companion, talking some but long stretches of easy silence and when the sun had started to set, he’d helped MacCready check around a tiny lean to they’d come across in the woods.

“Doesn’t look like there’s any fresh tracks or anybody using this recently. Should be safe enough. You want first watch or second?” He’d been asked as the boss coaxed a small fire to life.  
“First if you don’t have a preference.” He watched as the man pulled a pot from his massive backpack and started cooking something over the fire. MacCready wasn’t sure what was in it, couldn’t tell what he’d used but it smelled amazing. And MacCready felt his stomach turn, he’d eaten the mutfruit earlier but hadn’t eaten much the past few days. He pulled a snack cake from his pocket, hoping it would settle his stomach enough he could sleep, he didn’t want to burn through the food he did have since he wasn’t sure what settlement they were going to.

“Don’t ruin your dinner.” The man said, looking up. “They’ll be plenty in a few minutes.” And MacCready didn’t say anything, just looking at him and the man must of felt his eyes.

“I did say I’ve got supplies.” his mild tone threw MacCready.

“You told me to buy some food.” He said defensively, attitude rising.

“Yeah cause you looked like it’d’ve been a few days since you had something in your stomach worth having. Besides, 50 caps wouldn’t be enough to buy what you would need to make it to Somerville.” 

Joke’s on him, 50 caps could feed MacCready for almost a month. The hunger pains were a constant companion but, between that 50 caps and the 10 caps he had to give to Charlie and the 40 caps for his room, and ammo when he couldn’t find it, he was tapped. All of his other caps were split, half to go to Duncan now whenever Daisy sent her caravan out and the other half to find someone crazy enough to help him get to the cure.

But if he could land this job, could stay, he’d have a fighting chance. The man seemed well off and generous and if he really wasn't going to charge him for basic supplies, he might be able to save more. He doubted the generosity would continue or would stretch to medical supplies but being able to have a few good meals would make the rest of it worth it.

“Here.” He was handed a bowl piled up with food and an actual purified water. He took them awkwardly, a thanks falling from his tongue automatically.

“Don’t mention it. Not really, don’t. Preston doesn’t need to know.” His voice was amused and there was a hidden joke there and MacCready smiled reflexively.

“Who’s Preston?” MacCready questioned, mouth asking before he really thought about it. The big man laughed. 

“You’ll meet him soon enough but Pres is a pain in my ass and always giving me work. Always going on about some settlement or some problem, if the man wasn’t so damn earnest about it, so good natured naturally, I’d have told him to get lost forever ago. But he means well, and he has such a vision for the future, I always find myself agreeing to march halfway across this hellhole to get little Timmy out of the well.” 

“Sounds like a lot of work.” MacCready thought about how many caps he could get out of this arrangement. “I’m good with it.”

“Ha! You say that now. I’ve yet to find someone who can keep up with me for long.”

“You keep paying me boss and I’ll follow.” The man shot him a look, appraising before a look of astonishment crossed his features.

“Shit. I just realized I didn’t tell you my name. Charlie gave me yours, MacCready right? Anything to go with it? I’m Taggert Kai O’Ceallaigh but please, don’t call me any of that. I answer to Tagg mostly and I obviously have no manners so, there’s that. The dog is Dogmeat but he mostly answers to good boy.” The dog looked pleased, resting in one of the corners licking his jowls after eating his own food. A big tail thumped the ground a few times. 

“Yeah, I’m MacCready,” skipping over the rest of it, “and I’ll remember that boss.” He was given a smile, bright and blinding in response.

“Fair enough.” They ate in silence, the man, Tagg, filling both their bowls with the rest of the food before using another flask of purified water to clean their dishes. He covered the fire and MacCready was disappointed but not surprised. He took up a curled upright position by the front of the lean to covering himself as entirely as he could with his jacket. He shrugged his shoulders and sank as far as he could into the jacket and scarf, looking out into the wastelands with sharp eyes. He wasn’t paying attention to the boss which is why he startled when a thick blanket fell across him. 

“You are killing me.” Tagg said eyes lit with amusement. “I don’t need it to sleep” he said gesturing to the blanket and with that he whistled and made a hand motion and the big dog walked over and placed himself close to MacCready’s right side. The heat relaxed him and the thick blanket was warm. 

“You can play some games on my pip boy if you want but if you decide to take off in the middle of the night, make sure you leave this because if you take it, I’ll hunt you down and make you regret every choice you’ve ever made.” His voice was steel and MacCready nodded, taking the pip boy curiously. He’d never seen one of these up close.

“You paid for a gun, you’ll get it. I’m not leaving.” The words were absent-minded but Tagg nodded at him like he believed him and moved to the other side of the room.

“I get nightmares sometimes. Hazard of the life or so I’m told. Don’t try to wake me. If I get loud or you get worried, throw something at me from a distance.” He sat, back pressed into the wall and legs crossed at the ankles. His big arms crossed over his waist, curling around his torso. “Wake me at one, I’ll wake you at six and we’ll eat on the road.” His head rested against the wall and he closed his eyes so MacCready just offered a quiet affirmative as he stared at the pip boy. He wasn’t sure what it said on the screen, wasn’t able to read much if at all so instead he sat it beside him not willing to mess it up. He could see the clock though on the main screen and that helped pass the time. Normally watch was a lot less precise and first watch always tended to be the shittiest. His watch he wore on his wrist worked sometimes but not as well as the pip boy.

At one am, he woke the man just by standing up. He’d been pretty sure Tagg was asleep but when he took to his feet, Tagg moved in an easy motion, holding his hand out and MacCready went to hand him the blanket, already missing the warmth.

“Keep it, I just want my pip boy.” His voice was low in the dark and MacCready bent down and scooped up the pip boy, handing it over. He sat down in the space Tagg had moved from, laying down with the blanket cocooning him. He balled up his scarf to make a pillow and wiggled some. 

Tagg had taken his spot by the open wall MacCready had abandoned, legs arched in front of him and pip boy resting perched between his knees. The green glow illuminated his features and MacCready watched him. He was concentrating, looking at something intensely and MacCready fell asleep before he could figure out what he was doing.

“Hey Mac, wake up.” And MacCready groaned, burying his face in his scarf before standing reluctantly. The dog had abandoned him at some point, going out to stand with Tagg.

“Yeah, I’m up.” He folded the blanket he’d been lent carefully and handed it to Tagg before pulling his scarf back on. 

“Here, this might make it better.” Tagg handed him something wrapped in a weird flat bread but MacCready took a bite, the smell of it too tempting. It was delicious just as dinner had been, the bread holding eggs and other things. MacCready bolted it down, finishing it before putting on his accessories and slinging his sniper over his shoulder. 

“Feeding you is going to be like throwing rocks in a canyon.” Tagg was waiting on the other side of the lean to and MacCready considered responding but the warmth in his stomach made him mellow. He’d slept good, warm and safe and to be woken up with good food always started his day well.

“Here. I ate already so, if you can eat and walk, you can have these.” And MacCready smiled, genuinely, and took the proffered canteen and three more of the weird bread things. 

“What are these things?” Muffled noises made the words as his shoved the canteen under his arm and shoved half of one of them in his mouth while skipping a bit to catch up.

“It’s the best I could get to a breakfast burrito. Something prewar.” 

“Prewar? Like you know it was prewar?”

“Yeah, sob story out, I was frozen in a vault for some two hundred odd years and recently unfrozen after that asshole Kellog and what I presume is the Institute ran off with my adopted kid after murdering my best friend turned wife.”

“Da--ang. That’s a story.” He’d waited till his mouth was empty for that, trying to show he actually cared.

“Yeah, it’s been some shit.” And the silence fell and MacCready didn’t know what to say, didn’t trust him enough to mention Duncan or Lucy so, he just said nothing. He ate the food and drank the mutfruit juice and followed, eyes and ears peeled for anything out of the ordinary. They made good time even with stopping to eat some squirrel on a stick and a cup of noodles and by that afternoon they came up to the settlement, a rough house with a farm and a swing. A man came out carrying a big rifle and MacCready went to move before his boss shot his hand out, stopping him.

“I’m with the Minutemen and he’s with me. What did you need?” The man looked relieved, lowering his gun and told them about some ghouls at a school. 

“On it. I’ll take care of those ghouls for you.” And they were off again, Tagg handing MacCready some ragstag jerky and a purified water. 

“We’ll walk a little later tonight so eyes sharp. I want to be closer so we can clean the school out in the morning and get back to the settlement before dark.” MacCready agreed, still feeling pretty good with the consistent supply of food and clean water. 

Late that evening, true dark having fell, Tagg finally stopped. He’d fed MacCready most of the time, giving him bits and pieces of various foods but MacCready hadn’t been able to stifle the yawns. 

“Come on, we’ll bed down for a bit and you can sleep.”

“I can take first watch.” MacCready said, already unslinging his gun.

“Not tonight. I’ll take first watch. Here.” He was handed the blanket. “Put anything you take off in my bag just in case we get jumped and we have to make a run for it.” MacCready pulled off his bandoliers and his hat, placing his binoculars at the top of the bag before zipping it. During that, Tagg was dragging branches over in a pile. He pulled a thick mat from under his backpack and rolled it out on one side of the mound, gesturing to MacCready. 

“Lay here, the mat will keep the dampness off the blanket and the sticks will give you some shelter and some defense if we get attacked from that side during the night.” 

“What about you?” Tagg kicked the tree he’d stopped at, grabbing one of the low twisted branches before pulling himself up, stretching out on the branch back against the trunk.

“I’ll be here.” MacCready shrugged, laying down, sniper rifle on the mat next to him. 

He was woken some hours later, pink fingers of dawn stretching out but not yet dawn.

“Here, I already made breakfast.”

“You didn’t wake me for watch.”

“We need to be traveling so get your things and let me pack up the rest.” MacCready grabbed his stuff from the bag and watched Tagg put the blanket and mat back into his bag before slinging it on his shoulders. He looked at MacCready questioningly. 

“You’ve got your sniper rifle, have you got any other weapons?” 

“No, just this one.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth and MacCready added, “I prefer all of my enemies at a distance.”

“Damn.” He pulled the bag from his shoulders, digging through pockets to pull out a hip holster with a pistol and some ammo. He loaded rounds in the gun before flipping the safety and firing the weapon into the woods. He nodded to himself and MacCready looked on as he locked the safety again, dropping another bullet into the empty slot. 

“Take this. Going into a school, your line of sight is going to be shit. This will help if we have to get closer. Hopefully you’re worth your caps with this gun too.” The words were softened by a lopsided grin and MacCready took the gun.

“I can promise I am.” It was short work to fasten it on and when it was, Tagg handed him three of the burritos from the plate he’d left out. He picked up one to, gesturing to the trail. 

“The sooner we get there and murder everything, the sooner I can go back to Sanctuary.”

They made it to the school right as the sun was coming up. The boss had them stop before the school was close and gestured to a car. 

“Work for a sniper nest?” MacCready shrugged and climbed on it, taking a few minutes to get comfortable, gun sighted on the school. 

“Good. I’m going to see if there’s any of those fuckers hiding around. You shoot them and don’t shoot me. When I give you the signal, you join me.” 

“Can do boss.”

“Good man.” He took off at a run, Dogmeat straight on his heels, 10mm pistol in his hands. And sure enough, it wasn’t long before he saw the ghouls digging their way upright to attack. MacCready wasted three of them but the boss got the fourth. He waited for the sign, a clenched fist the boss had shown him before hopping off the car and jogging up to the school. 

“Ready? We shoot the ghouls, go slow, room by room. No heroics and no wondering off. You see the things I want, you call out. You see something that looks interesting, you call out. You are my extra set of eyes and my extra gun. Got it?”

“Yeah, let's do this.” And he was led into the building. Cleaning the rooms was fun until MacCready realized he really was serious back collecting things. At first it was a game, see what the boss thought was worth having but, it quickly moved to scary territory when he realized how much stuff was being put into the backpack which, horrifyingly enough, expanded thanks to some ingenious zippers. 

MacCready didn’t know the man well enough to smart off and he really wanted the extra 250 caps so he kept his head down and did as he was told. He ignored the warm feeling deep in his gut when the man would toss out a casual compliment, praising MacCready for seeing something or a good shot. And he definitely ignored the spark of lust when he’d found some duct tape and Tagg had been so excited. He definitely wasn’t looking harder for duct tape. 

And they continued on, MacCready using his sniper rifle when he could and swapping to the .44 he’d been given when he couldn’t. Until they’d finally figured out how to get into the cafeteria. MacCready has been first through the door, room check a little sloppy but, he’d killed three ghouls from outside of the room by shooting through the holes in the wall. He didn’t think there’d be any left with as many as they’d dropped. 

Until the growl from behind him and a startled “Mac!” and a massive amount of force hitting him to the ground. The boss had shoved him, pushing himself into the path of the ghoul and holy fu-frick that was a glowing one and Tagg’s wicked knife was out and MacCready’s hand fell to his gun as the boss stabbed the creature and claws tried to find purchase and blood was flowing and the world was still coming back into focus from the disorientation of being hit to the ground so hard. He shot, exhaling long and slow and between his teeth just liked he’d learned and the glowing one dropped. 

“Fuck me.” Tagg said with a laugh. “Teach you to be a cocky little shit huh?” And Tagg was bleeding, bleeding because of him but he had a smile on his face, laugh in his voice and hands against his knees, knife gripped loosely. 

“I’m sorry boss.” MacCready felt himself say, jumping up and checking his pockets for the one stimpack he had, he could fix this, he would fix it but the sudden movement made him freeze, teeth shut against the pain. He sat back down as quickly trying to sort through the adrenaline to find the hurt. 

“Mac? Fuck. Your shoulder.” And MacCready turned his head and there was a long gash in his shoulder and all he could think was how it had ripped his shirt and jacket. And the boss was moving, pulling a stimpack out and injecting it on the wound and driving an IV of radaway into his arm. 

“You too boss.” MacCready said and Tagg sat down before doing the same for himself. MacCready didn’t know what to say, didn’t know if he could say anything. He opened his mouth then closed it. Finally, he whispered, “I’m Robert Joseph MacCready, but I prefer when you call me Mac.” He’d never liked nicknames before but hearing the boss say it, well, it was growing on him.

“Good to meet you Mac.” And he pulled himself to his feet, yanking out the needle from the radaway. “Let’s see if that son of a bitch had anything good.” And there was a big hand and MacCready put his hand out and was hauled to his feet.

It was quiet, the rest of the trip and MacCready was too awed to bitch about the bag Tagg handed him filled with other junk that wouldn’t fit in his backpack. And then they were back at the settlement and Tagg told them they’d cleared the school and it should be safe. Then he spent some time stripping all the junk they’d found and somehow the man turned it into two turrets and he left them there with a few toys for the kids. 

“We’ll take the rest of this up to Sanctuary and then we’ll hit Goodneighbor. I gotta exterminate some rats apparently.” And MacCready followed, he was beginning to think he’d follow the man anywhere he led. Tagg was good, inherently, always offering food and purified water to MacCready, hadn’t even used his blanket since he’d given it to MacCready the first night. The only thing MacCready had noticed and wasn’t brave enough to ask about was the man’s habit of skipping sleeping until he couldn’t stay up any longer.

When they came up to Sanctuary, MacCready was impressed. It had big walls encircling it with turrets dotted along the defenses, the only weak spot being a few giant water purifiers but MacCready could see the glint of the turrets on the ground near them from where he stood. Walking through the main opening of the wall gave him a view of the settlement, houses that were prewar and shacks that were more common covered the ground, people moving and there were even children actually playing happily.

And when Tagg walked through the gate, it was as if everything stopped. People started gathering around them and Tagg had a kind word or something from the backpack still bulging on his back. He knew everyone and MacCready stuck himself to the man’s back right nudging Dogmeat over. 

“General!” A man called out coming over with a smile.

“Hey Pres. I took care of those people for you. It was some ghouls so me and Mac, MacCready here, blasted them out and I made a couple of turrets for them. Will you set them up with a provisioner and make sure they make it to the rotation?’

“Of course! I’ll see it done today. There’s a few other places and things that could use your attention if you don’t mind.” And Tagg handed him the pip boy.

“Put them on the list, I’ve got something to handle first and then I’ll see where I can go next. Mac needs his outfit lined with weave. I’m going to touch base with Sturges, put Mac in a room in the main house I think for tonight, and sleep. Normal protocol.” And he strode off, surprising Mac by leaving the pip boy. He hesitated for only a minute before the boss called out. “Let’s move Mac.” and he was moving instinctively.  
He met a guy named Sturges and Tagg gave him the bag of parts that MacCready had carried for him. He met a Mister Handy Tagg called Cogsworth and a bunch of other people including Nick Valentine from Diamond City who was just visiting. Tagg gave him a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

“These should fit well enough, if you’ll give me your clothes, I’ll have Cogsworth clean them and repair what he can then I’ll line them with ballistic weave to help keep you safe.”

And MacCready wouldn’t say no to that, wouldn’t ask how much it would cost him because that would be worth whatever price was asked. So he changed clothes, handing his worn things to Cogsworth and wearing a tee-shirt that smelled like Tagg under the scent of soap and he realized he was wearing a shirt from Tagg’s things. 

“Here’s a room for you Mac, it’s the warmest room since the main kitchen is right outside. Here’s your blanket. There’s food if you want it, just tell them you’re with me and my room is in the front of the house but don’t open my door at all. If you really need something, you can knock but make sure it’s really important.”

“Sure thing boss.” And he was alone for the first time since taking the job. Well, as alone as one could be in a bustling township but he found his way to the kitchen and Cogsworth was there and he passed him some food and MacCready didn’t have to pay for it. 

He sat and ate the food, okay but not as good as Tagg’s, and drank his water before Preston sat down.

“So you are traveling with the General.” And his eyes were hard and he had a laser musket held far too carefully to be anything but a threat.

“Yep.” He popped the ‘p’ as nonchalantly as possible, wondering if he could get out of here without being killed. Nick Valentine walked up and sat down as well.

“You’ve picked an interesting path kid.” And da-danged if that didn’t get under his skin.

“I’m being paid.” He said, short temper turning his words sharp.

“That’s a lie. I mean, you might be getting paid but that’s not why you look at him the way you do.” MacCready didn’t see where the man came from but suddenly his table had another body. “I’m Deacon by the way, MacCready.” And it pissed MacCready off.

“Well, I’m done and going to bed. Sleeping before the boss decides it’s time to leave again is high on my list of things more important than this feel good chat.”

“Just hear us out kid, Tagg means a lot to all of us.” 

“Nick’s right. We just want to make sure you understand that when you’re out there with him, you’ve got to make sure he’s okay. He doesn’t sleep enough.” Preston said quietly. “He’ll be in his room for at least ten hours and if anyone tries to open his door, they are libel to get a gun to the face if not a bullet.”

“He’s my boss, I’d make s-crappy caps if I let him die.” He stood up and started walking away. 

“It’s cute you think you can run from this. Anyone who looks at you can see how you feel.” Deacon sang out and MacCready didn’t turn around. F-Frick that guy.

He wasn’t running. He wasn’t. He knew he had it bad for the man, he wasn’t stupid. Who wouldn’t have a crush on Tagg? But the part that got him was he felt like the man would be a good Boss of him. He knew he’d take care of MacCready, had proven it with his own blood and refusal to take his stimpack in compensation. Knew it from how many times he’d given MacCready the biggest portion of the rations. But this was all he was going to get and he refused to let his emotions ruin this. Anything to make the Boss’s life easier and better would be worth it. Any use the Boss could get from him would make him feel worthy. And those revelations circled until sleep finally took him curled under his blanket that smelled like the road in clothes that weren’t his. 

 

Fifteen hours later, they were back on the road and MacCready was following. His clothes were clean and he’d watched the Boss line them with ballistic weave, patching a few of the holes. He had more ammo, more supplies in his bag and he was pretty convinced he’d be following him for as long as he could and the only things that would stop him would be his own death or Tagg sending him away.


	2. Interlude with an Assaultron

It’d had been a month of travelling, occasionally crashing for a day or two in Sanctuary and MacCready swore he’d never crossed at much of the Commonwealth before Tagg. The man was nonstop, constantly moving and MacCready was his constant companion. He’d been asked several times if he’d needed a break or wanted to hang back at Sanctuary but MacCready needed the caps, the steady income. They’d finally swapped his fee from a by the job to something the guy called a retainer fee and MacCready had more caps from this month then he thought he’d made in the last six months. Best part was the money for his upkeep was basically nonexistent, Tagg paying for their drinks when they’d stop at a bar, providing him food and shelter for free. So when they’d been in Goodneighbor to clear out the library for Daisy, he’d been able to send a large amount of caps to Duncan and he felt like he was getting close to being able to hire someone to travel with him to MedTek. But there was still the Gunners to worry about. They wouldn’t let him leave that easily. 

“Hey Mac, you done wool-gathering?” Tagg had left Dogmeat this time back at Sanctuary. He joked that MacCready had been the only companion to be able to travel with him for an entire month without needing a safe space.

“Yeah, oh come on Boss, don’t make me carry that worthless junk!” MacCready groaned out, looking at the bag he was being handed. It wasn’t worthless, had seen what Tagg could turn it into but he liked to rile the man. 

“Really?” His eyebrow raised. “I’ve yet to see you build a water purifier out of some scrap metal, five desk fans, and a board game.” 

“How’d you learn to do that anyways?” MacCready asked as he shouldered the bag. No wonder his muscles had been filling out with the way the Boss went on. Between the movement and the food MacCready was in the best shape he’d ever been. 

“I was always interested in tinkering and the pip boy helps some, tells me what I can use to make something else.” He walked quietly for a bit following the easy pace. He wondered, briefly if Tagg would be willing to help him with the Gunners, willing to help him with Duncan. He wondered, briefly, how much it would cost for him to convince Tagg to come with him into MedTek. The man didn’t often take money from people unless he really didn’t like them or want to do the job but MacCready saw him take a share in other ways, a portion of the settlement’s clean water or crops or old world things he wanted. And everyone gave it to him, considered it well worth the price of safety and just Tagg paying attention to them. He charmed everyone, even Hancock the one time they were almost on his bad side. Tagg had shot Bobbi before she’d even finished talking when he’d realized what had happen. Her body hadn’t hit the floor before he was apologizing to Fahrenheit. He’d even given Mel some caps and the offer to join them at Sanctuary or any of the other settlements before leaving, going to Hancock personally with a bag of chems he’d been planning on selling and three bottles of whiskey. MacCready cringed reflexively, remembering the hangover he’d awoken to after that night.

A shot rang out, disrupting his thoughts and he swore. The bullet ricocheted pass them and MacCready looked for the shooter with his sniper rifle already off his shoulder. Fuc-frick, it was a group of Gunners. They were no match for him and Tagg though, men dropping like flies and MacCready cringed knowing he was about to dropped. This had been the third time a group of Gunners had stumbled across them. MacCready figured Winlock and Barnes had sent out a kill order, the two groups before and this one he’d recognized the bandannas on. 

“You wanna tell me what’s all this about or are we going to ignore it?” the Boss questioned, crouching down and checking the pockets of the dead men. 

“Nice to be on the open road. Goodneighbor was starting to wear out its welcome.” MacCready said instead, looking away from the man.

“Sounds like you had a rough time of it back there.” His tone was mild and MacCready still didn’t look at him. 

“Rough? That's putting it mildly. Let's put it this way. Can't get much rest when you're sleeping with one eye open. Still, it was the best place for me to set up shop. Diamond City's goons would have run me out of town and wandering the Commonwealth alone isn't the brightest plan when you're hard up for caps.”

“Caps aren't worth risking your life.” His words were measured and even. 

“Easy for you to say. But right now, I need every cap I can get.” He finally risked a glance and Tagg was standing while staring at him with such concern. 

“Are caps really that important to you?” His voice was smooth.

“I don't have much of a choice. I don't usually go around sharing stuff like this, but you've been pretty straight with me, so I'm going to be straight with you. It's those two assh... those two idiots you saw me talking to at the Third Rail, Winlock and Barnes. They've been hounding me for months and it's been driving off clients. No one wants to touch me once they learn I used to run with the Gunners. And I figured if I could get enough caps together, maybe I could buy them out. And maybe they’d stop trying to kill me.”

“How many caps do you need?” And MacCready hadn’t been expecting that. Had hoped for it, dreamed about it maybe but he’d never actually expected to hear that. Tagg had a way of responding to people’s needs in such a matter of fact way. Everyone who’d told him what they needed eventually got it from the kid asking for a few new books to the settler asking them to destroy an entire raider gang so they could be safe. And here they were with Tagg offering to solve all of his problems as well.

“I'm not sure. Honestly, that's not even what concerns me the most. I'm wondering how I'm going to pull it off. Winlock and Barnes have a small army of Gunners with them at all times.They might decide to just keep the caps and put a bullet in my head for good measure. If I set up a place to meet them, I'm sure they'd roll in with everyone they've got. Unless. Maybe you and I could pay them a little visit and put an end to them before they realize what's going on. And before you get that look on your face, let me just say that I wouldn't even be asking if I didn't trust you.” He held his breath, hoping he hadn’t gone too far this time.

“If you need my help, I'm there.” The words were firm and said with such conviction MacCready could almost convince himself the man meant with anything. 

“Wow... I don't know what to say. Truth is, I haven't been able to rely on anyone since I was a kid. Everyone I've met has either tried to rip me off or plant a knife in my back. But you. You're different. We see eye-to-eye on almost everything and I have a funny feeling you actually care about what happens to me. That's why I asked for your help. Listen, I’m going to make it easy…”

Tagg stopped him with a raised hand. “Stop it. I don’t need it made easy, I need a location. We’ll go now, they won’t expect us.”

“But what about your list?” MacCready questioned, gesturing to the pip boy. He’d learned that Tagg was very methodical about his list of jobs on his pip boy, ordering everything in importance. The scale was based on how big the need was and who was suffering. They’d been on their way to scout out a new settlement when they’d been stopped. 

“It can wait.” And MacCready marked it on his map silently before they took off.

They’d made short work of the guards at the way station at the bottom of the exchange before calling the elevator. On the way up Tagg looked at him, face grim and dirty. 

“We hit it hard and we don’t let up till there’s nothing but bodies.” MacCready nodded, crouching down with his sniper rifle up. Tagg stood to the side of him covering him some a massive gun in his hands.

They hit the station hard, more Gunners lazing about then MacCready had expected and a damm-danged assaultron too. The Boss had taken a nasty hit from the assaultron and MacCready had thought it was game over, trying to fire off a shot at the gunner who was getting too close so he could help the Boss but the next thing he saw was the assaultron being thrown over the barrier and exploding in Winlock’s face and MacCready had memorized the sound Winlock had made. He tried not to think about the sound Tagg made when the assaultron hit him as much as he tried not to think about the fact that Tagg had rushed the thing as soon as they realized they weren’t going to stop it before it got right up on top of them. And MacCready hadn’t been hurt other then a graze on his cheek from some shrapnel. 

“Fuck Mac, you didn’t say nothin about no assaultron you dick. The hell man?” Tagg was hunched over his own body, hands on his knees and arm blistering from the laser burn. He was breathing heavily, weezing some and was covered in blood. But he had such a smile on his face and a laugh in his voice and MacCready was gone for this man. 

“That was new!" His exclamation was loud and Tagg snorted at him. "This should send a message to the Gunners to stay off my back.” MacCready said realizing he’d been staring. 

“I'm sure they heard you loud and clear.” He was laughing now and he dropped into a chair digging through his side bag to grab some medical supplies.

“Definitely For the Gunners, it's always about the bottom line. They just lost this entire waystation and that cost them big. Besides, they have no way of knowing I was involved. Anyway, I guess I owe you a favor now. After all, you hired me but I'm the one that dragged you out here.” He batted the man’s hands away, pulling out the stimpack and purified water. He washed his wounds as best as he could, trying to ignore the hissing sound Tagg made so MacCready wouldn’t cry.

“You don't owe me, you clearly needed the help and well, I wasn't about to let you have all this fun alone.” He wasn’t smiling anymore. His head was thrown back against the chair, features taunt with pain and MacCready injected the stimpack.

“Glad you enjoyed it but I like everything to remain nice and even... and you're one up on me.” Tagg looked at him then the medicine decreasing the pinched look in his eyes. “Tell you what. I'm going to give you back the caps you paid me in Goodneighbor. I'll still stick with you because that was part of the original deal, but now we're even. There you go. I guess we're done here. Lead on, boss.” He took the bag MacCready handed him and MacCready tried not to consider the fact that Duncan would have less money this month. He knew his friends would care for Duncan even if MacCready didn’t send them anything but it’d always made him feel like he was doing the right thing when he could scrap some caps together for Duncan.

“You know I don’t need these right? I could just give you whatever amount of caps you need for whatever it is you are doing.” And they’d never talked about it so openly.

“I know Boss.” MacCready responded voice soft with emotion.

“You’ll tell me about it eventually right?”

“Yeah.” His voice was barely a whisper but it was enough and Tagg fixed a turret out of the pieces and they slept together, side by side in one of the beds the gunners had. And MacCready felt warm.


	3. Attack and Rescue

MacCready would never be able to repay the vault dweller. Not only did the man just randomly give McCready ammo, meds and supplies plus modded his sniper rifle to the point where KLEO offered to buy it for a crazy amount of caps and the sharp little .44 pistol with a hell of a kick, he also killed the Gunners and got the cure for Duncan. And then, just because his mouth had been hurting more than normal, got those ass-jerks in Diamond City to repair his teeth for him! MacCready had known about the surgery, had known they could replace his teeth, hell, Deacon could change his face, of course they could fix his mouth. But it was expensive and had never been worth the expense to him. He needed caps for Duncan, not himself. 

His hand curled around the letter again. He was still sitting in the main house at the big table where he’d dropped as soon as they hit Sanctuary. He was lucky his memory was good and the Boss had been giving him reading lessons, he’d only needed Daisy’s help reading part of the update letter and none of his son’s letter. Now though, after hearing it, the words were etched in his mind and he knew what they both said in his bones. 

If he couldn’t repay the man, how could he get back to Duncan? That wasn’t even the issue though, MacCready knew he’d never make him repay anything. He’d just let him leave with a smile and a backpack shoved full of as much stuff and caps as he could fit in it. No, the real issue was the leaving. How could he leave him?

He put his head down on the table and his letter, eyes still opened staring the the clumsy, too big letters. His boy was learning to write. He would be five now and MacCready had left him with his friends when the boy had turned three. It’d been two years since he’d seen him and he’d been excited to hear the cure had worked and Duncan was up running around and causing mischief. And then, the second paper had been a note from Duncan himself. He’d gasped when he read the first words. “Hey Daddy.” And he was back two years ago, hearing Duncan tell him “Night night daddy” in a quiet voice that sounded too much like Lucy with big eyes that looked like his and some unknown blue rash starting to bloom. He’d left that night, determined to fix things, to provide, anything. To be better because he had this tiny little miracle and Lucy was dead and there had been nothing he could have done except lay down and die with her. 

“Hey Mac! You in here?” The door opened and MacCready didn’t bother moving. Big footsteps echoed and the man dropped into the other seat at the table. Mac didn’t move for Dogmeat’s whine either, the dog never far from his favorite person.

“What’s up Mac?” His voice was softer and MacCready forced himself up. Tagg was a big man, taller than most people and built like a suit of power armor. He was dressed down in Sanctuary, jeans and a sleeveless shirt, instead of his vest and motley assortment of armor. Tattoos darkened his skin coming out from the shirt, long feathers of some short flaring out the back and sides of his arms before stopping at his elbows. MacCready wanted to see where it started but he’d never had and no one else mentioned what exactly what it was.

MacCready knew he was still formidable in the relaxed clothes, he’d watched the man sew a ballistic weave lining into all of his clothes, going so far as to line MacCready’s clothes, jacket, and even his hat. He’d offered to replace any of it, to repair it if he’d rather and MacCready had just shook his head dumbly. Tagg had his thigh holster on, small pistol put in it and his messenger bag slung over a broad chest and resting on his opposite thigh. His crimson hair was pulled back in a ponytail and those da-dang blue eyes sparkled amidst a sprinkling of freckles and deep scars. 

“Just looking at the letter from Duncan, Boss. We ready to set out?” MacCready tried to distract him, was going to put the letter away and deal with it later but the big man was fast. He hummed excitedly and yanked up the letter from the table, eyes moving across it before MacCready could react.

“He misses you! And he’s writing, what lovely handwriting. How did I not think about a teacher? We should touch base with Preston, I could put a school on the other lot and start looking for some text books. Maybe we should go back to that elementary school with those pink ghouls, I wonder if we have anyone who would make a good teacher? Curie’s probably my top pick but the kids would need someone else. Like an assistant? Well, in other news, I think I’ve almost finished the rooms I set aside for you and Duncan, if I push this patrol cycle off to Sturges and the patrol units maybe, I could get it finished then we could send for Duncan.” 

Tagg’s face was bright and his smile was so big and MacCready cursed himself for a damned fool. And as the silence wore on, his bright face fell some and MacCready couldn’t understand why, couldn’t understand how this man could be so freaking perfect and why hadn’t he thought about bringing Duncan here? It was so much safer in Sanctuary and Tagg had done so many things.

“Did you not plan on bringing Duncan here? I mean, of course if you didn’t want to, you should go to him.” His voice was solemn and MacCready laughed, he couldn’t help it.

“No Boss, I didn’t think about bringing Duncan here. Not because I want to go back to the homestead but because I didn’t think anyone would be willing to help us.” The man’s face shifted to some expression MacCready didn’t want to decipher.

“Well of course I’ll help. Do you want to see the rooms?” MacCready nodded and was handed the note back. “I’ll find Preston too, Sturges shouldn’t mind making the run to Abernathy farm and we can have Minutemen patrols stop into the other settlements to make a visit. Whatever they can’t fix, I’ll go by later and help.”

MacCready followed the man absently. He knew they ran across Preston, knew the Boss had told him something but he wasn’t sure what. It was like he was floating, still trapped in the feeling of immense relief. Who wouldn’t want a place like Sanctuary for their kid? With it’s walls and turrets, no creature was getting in. And there were other children to play with and safety in numbers, lots of capable adults and Tagg led it all, bringing so much care into this place, making what he called apartments for everyone so they could all have their own space but still mostly be in an easily defended location.

Tagg led him to a side building where he’d put up all of his friends, Dogmeat abandoned them finally, laying down in the house Tagg had built for him. The bottom floor was something Tagg called a rec room, weight benches and some actually functioning video games took up one side. A big table with enough seats for fifteen people and a kitchen area and comfy couches and chairs filled the rest of the area. Thick carpets covered the rough floor and lights flickered above. MacCready remembered the day he’d hung them, cursing up a storm and fussing with tiny metal pieces but he’d been so pleased when it worked. 

“So, I put Nick, Deacon, and Handcock on the first floor,” was told to him as they ventured up the stairs. “Piper, Curie, and Cait are on the second floor, with a guest bedroom, Preston has his room in the main house and his primary residence is back at the Castle and Cogsworth wants to stay in the main house as well so this top floor I figured I’d do for you and Duncan.” They’d made it to the top of the stairs and Tagg opened the only door and MacCready felt overwhelmed. The main room was a living space, done up like those prewar pictures in books. Clean chairs, thick rugs to muffle and insulate the room. There was a kitchen area and a table with three chairs. And three more doors leading to other places. Tagg waved him on so MacCready opened the doors. The first room was a bathroom, Tagg had spent a lot of time figuring out how to run waste lines so the toilets would somewhat work. He said it wasn’t as easy as prewar stuff but, MacCready thought having to fill the tank with water was a small price to pay for the benefits. The bathtub was spacious and MacCready was already dreading having to pull water up from the ingenious pump system Tagg had created. It was a lot of work but the water was warmer than the creek and he’d loved that part. The next room was a simple bedroom, clean bed, a desk, and a dresser. What touched him the most was the gun cabinet and the lock he could see on it. 

It was the next room that tore him up. His eyes burned from the effort not to cry as he stared at it. There was a soft looking bed with clean blankets and pillows. On top of the bed was four different types of teddy bears. The rest of the room was a tiny desk MacCready knew was handmade, a chair, colorful rugs. Comic book posters covered the walls. But it was the bookcase that took him. On it sat colorful children’s books and toys. Toys he’d never gotten to play with and toys that he knew he and Lucy would have never been able to provide. What tipped him over, causing the tears to roll down his face, hot and heavy, was 10 wooden figures. He touched one with the tip of his finger and it looked like the one Lucy had made for him but there were enough differences that MacCready knew it wasn’t. The other ones had been carved similarly but painted in different ways and MacCready knew he was looking at stylized versions of Tagg’s closest friends and Tagg himself. 

“Do you like it? I still have to hang lights but, I didn’t think it was that bad.” The man was quiet, voice taunt and MacCready reacted without thinking. He turned and threw himself at Tagg, wrapping long, thin arms around the giant man and holding him tightly. 

“It’s everything.” Was all he could say. Tagg’s arms curled around him as well and he felt like something precious, cradled so gently. He pulled back, ending the moment blushing brightly. “So you said something about lights, Boss?” And then they were off, Tagg in his element. And if MacCready ignored the lingering looks, trying not to stare himself, that was his business he supposed. 

 

 

 

The next week found him in Goodneighbor having Daisy help him write the letter that would bring Duncan to him. Tagg had wanted to go get him but Preston and MacCready had talked him out of it. Tagg had enough to do and MacCready would already be spending his natural life shooting things for the man as is. Besides, it was normal for kids to travel like this and MacCready trusted his friends. Trusted them to bring him safely. 

MacCready finished the letter and sealed it before handing it back to Daisy. She hugged him tight and MacCready shifted when he heard the door open. 

“I should be jealous that he gets hugs and I don’t.” His voice was staged pouty and MacCready smiled. 

“Daisy is my best girl.” He retorted and Daisy smacked him on the arm after releasing him. 

“You two are working on never being allowed in my shop again.” 

“You can’t kick me out Daisy, I’m a paying customer.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. 

“It’s rare I get one of them.”

“I’ll wait outside Boss.” MacCready needed a smoke. Needed a break. Needed to be away before he started crying. Duncan was going to be here soon. He sat on the bench opposite of the store with Dogmeat settled at his feet and watched the man through the window. The Boss had put a green backpack on the counter and MacCready frowned, that wasn’t the Boss’s bag. He talked animatedly to Daisy, words not quite loud enough for MacCready to hear and Daisy took the bag, smiling. He passed a smaller bag that MacCready knew had caps in it and turned to leave.

“What was that about Boss?” MacCready asked as soon as the man was out.

“Just some stuff for Duncan. Some modded guns for the people bringing him, caps, health stuff. Nothing big.” He didn’t react, only kept walking towards the door for Goodneighbor and Macready considered asking more but didn’t. He smiled, tucked his hands into his pocket and sunk into his coat. His Boss would take care of him. 

A month had passed since the letter and MacCready was getting ready to leave Sanctuary to wait for Duncan at Goodneighbor. The Boss had been gone for about a week and a half at this point, something to do with Deacon, that jackas-jerk, and MacCready had been left here. But he was productive in his time, helping set up the school and making their little home more lived in. He was ready to see his boy and bring him home. Maybe he could convince his favorite Mungo to take a walk with Charon back here, to see what he’d done for himself. 

He set out, waving bye to Preston and Cogsworth. 

 

 

 

“Fuck Dee, you sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Tagg was smiling, humor brightening his face but doing little to soften the scar tissue snaking down the left side of his face or the bruises darkening across high cheekbones. Dogmeat curled around his legs and Deacon loved the dog but it was always hard to see him with some person’s blood around his muzzle. 

“I live to serve.” Deacon retorted, hands on his knees and breathing heavily. They’d ran at the first sound of a mine going off, battle abandoned to a blind frenzy. “Come on, we’ll get this intel back to Des and you can go check on your pet project.” Deacon stood up, heading to the HQ as Tagg huffed. 

“Come on Dee, I still don’t know why you two are always at each other’s throats. You’d like him if you gave him a chance!” And Deacon would take the reason to his grave. The merc might not understand the reason he didn’t like Deacon but Deacon knew. Jealousy was always a blinding force. And, in all fairness, the better man won that fight. Tagg deserved happiness and Deacon would keep his trap shut around the truth. Let them stumble into that mess all by themselves. 

“I’ll think about it Fixer. Now, shall we?” Deacon was in a terrible mood and he was kind of being an asshole to the man but he was lucky he wouldn’t have to deal with it. Instead, Tagg switched his pip boy on, pulling up the Minutemen radio station easily. Some song finished and it swapped to a message.

“General, if you can here this or if any Minutemen see the General, ask him to report to OPG ASAP regards to 2IC and the merc. This message will be repeated on the hour until call sign Alpha has been given.” The voice had barely finished before Tagg took off at a dead run with Dogmeat at his heels. Deacon hurried after him, unable to catch up but keeping pace as well as he could.

“Tagg! What is it!?”

“We gotta get to Goodneighbor! Now! I need to see Fahrenheit, it’s about Mac!” 

“What about the intel?” Deacon asked, breathing hard and Tagg stopped, turning quickly in a circle. He whipped out a flare gun from his bag and shot two bright flares into the evening light. It was barely ten minutes before a band of Minutemen came from the trees and Tagg signaled them. 

“General?” One of the men said, voice high and excited. “There was a message for you on Radio Freedom.”

“I got it. Thanks for coming over. I have to get to Goodneighbor but my friend here needs to be at Bunker Hill like yesterday. I need you to divert your tracks and escort him there immediately. Dee, I’ll meet back with you at the spot as soon as I know what’s going on. Sorry man, they wouldn’t use that code unless it was ridiculously important. Especially from Goodneighbor since Kent would have had to broadcast it first.”

“I understand Boss. I’ll see you later.” Deacon watched for a few minutes, the man leaving before the Minutemen could agree to the task or even before Deacon’s words finished. Instead, he turned and loped off, speed ridiculous but Deacon could tell he’d be able to keep that pace until he made it to Goodneighbor. 

“Well, come on soldier boys, I’ll tell you some tales of your General as we walk.” MacCready better learn how lucky he was or Deacon was going to shoot him. 

 

 

Tagg didn’t even go around Goodneighbor to the front gate signalling Dogmeat away. Instead he took a running leap off one of the cars and pulled himself over the wall carefully. He picked his way through the barb wire, dropping down with only a few gouged cuts before he ran into Fahrenheit at Daisy’s shop. 

“What happened?” voice catching on the words and blood making a slow creep down his arms and hands. Daisy looked at him sharply and he noticed there was a young boy, a big ghoul and a whipcord thin man in her shop as well. The boy caught his attention, bright blue eyes in a long thin face and Tagg swore silently to himself. He grabbed a stimpack and injected it, closing the wounds in mere moments before using a purified water and a rag from his side bag to clean the blood off himself. He dropped to his knee before the boy.

“Hi,” voice taunt in his throat. “My name is Taggert but everyone calls me Tagg. You must be Duncan.” And that shrewd look in his eyes, that was Mac staring at him.

“Where’s my daddy?” It echoed and Tagg felt his heart stop. All he could think about was Shaun.

“I’m not sure buddy.” he answered honestly. Then he met the boy’s eyes. “I’ll find him though and bring him to you.” The words fell like steel, hard and true. He took the boy’s tiny hand between two of his and squeezed gently before standing up. “When did you get here?” He asked the thin man, sensing he was in charge. 

The man looked pleased for a minute, to be the one being addressed and he answered. “We got in yesterday around three in the afternoon. No one had seen the mayor though.” 

“Hancock?” Tagg asked confused.

“No, sorry MacCready, it’s an old title.” Tagg acknowledged the words before turning to Fahrenheit. 

“Did you hear anything from Sanctuary?” Tagg checked his pip boy, “Mac was leaving Sanctuary four days ago from what he told me before I left. It’s an easy trip, he should have been here same day.” Fahrenheit shrugged uncomfortably. 

“Sanctuary said he left on time, I sent someone to check yesterday. They didn’t see him or any sign of him on the main road though.” Fahrenheit looked at the kid and Tagg thought maybe they shouldn’t have this conversation in front of him. The kid glared at him as if he knew what he was thinking and he smiled reflexively. Just like he would for Mac. Fuck, he was going to be whipped for both of them at this rate. He inclined his head at the kid then looked at Daisy.

“You still have my map, love?” She pulled out a folder and Tagg opened the map and looked pensieve. He added a few dots after checking with his pip boy and nodded. 

“I’m going to send out some feelers, make sure I’m right. I think I know where your daddy is Duncan, do you mind waiting here with your friends while I go and get him or do you want to head on to Sanctuary and I’ll bring your daddy to you there?” He’d dropped back down to his knee in front of the boy and looked at him. 

“I can’t go too?” The whine was adorable, and Tagg felt himself smiling again. His heart was a twisting live wire beating a rapid pulse under his skin but he pushed it aside. There would be time yet. He’d find Shaun for Nora, he owed her that but this wasn’t the time for him, it was time for Duncan, for Mac.

“No bud, where I’m going, I gotta move fast and I don’t think you can keep up with me yet. I need someone here and at Sanctuary just in case your daddy finds his way back before I find him. Where can I put you?”

“I’m going to stay here. Daddy said he’d show me the house we have there in my letter and I want him to.” Tagg nodded and stood.

He handed the big man a big bag of caps. “Anything you need or hell, want. Daisy, you know I’m good for it if they need more.” 

“Shouldn’t someone go with you?” The thin man asked and Tagg shook his head. 

“If he’s where I think he is, it’ll be better without a bunch of people. Besides, I’m never alone. Dogmeat will be with me.” A whine from the door had the new people looking. A big dog with a pretty grey and black thick coat was there. He’d pushed open the front door of Goodneighbor and was sitting, waiting patiently. 

Tagg was out of the door, Dogmeat at his side before anyone else could say anything. He was giving a list of codes to Kent while Daisy ruffled the boy’s hair and escorted him and the two men to the hotel. By the time they were settling down, Tagg was leaving Goodneighbor with just a small backpack, two guns strapped to his back, two full ammo belts, both thigh holsters, and Dogmeat, still on his feet. 

 

 

MacCready woke up hard, head thrumming with pain and wheezing in his lungs. Da-dang, he’d been shot and had it not been for the ballistic weave, he’d probably be dead. He shifted before realizing he’d been tied to a chair. The laughter from the other side of the room startled him, blood running cold as he tried to make his eyes focus. He recognized the sound before his eyes could confirm it. He’d been captured by a different squad of the Gunners under the tender care of Gunner Lieutenant Marks. Marks had wanted MacCready to join his crew, had tried hard before he signed on with Winlock and Barnes. 

“Oh Bobby, looks like you’ve found yourself in quite the predicament. And there’s no sugar daddy to save you now. You’ll have to show us what you did to him to make him want to keep such a useless rat around.” She’d left after that, leaving his care to the others. He’d checked out the room they held him in, even if he could get free, he wasn’t sure where they were. Some building and he didn’t think he’d been that far from Goodneighbor. There were no windows and no light besides a lantern. There was a hole in the ceiling but it only showed into the second floor which gave him nothing. No new information but he guessed he’d be good entertainment while they did what they did to him. 

They didn’t do much that first day. Or maybe it had been the second. He wasn’t sure. They did give him some water, irradiated of course, dirty. But he’d been desperate, blood still burning in his mouth so he drank it, said please like they made him and in his mind, he planned killshots on every one of them including the ones watching from above. 

The second day or third, that day was when he realized exactly how screwed he was. 

“Enjoying your stay?” Her voice grated, sending adrenaline shooting through him. He was in pain from them hitting him, ribs tender and sore. He knew his face was a mess of bruising, blood from a split lip dripping down. 

“Go to hell.” He coughed out before catching the bat between his ribs, grunting with the impact. His audience was raucous, throwing teasing words and comments. Encouraging the violence. 

“You’ll speak to me respectfully, Bobby.” Her voice burned him.

“Go to hell, ma’am.” He spat out, venom in his voice and he caught the bat again, same place and there was a snapping sound deep in his chest and he cried out, voice sharp.

“He’s still got too much fight. We’ll give him another day without food and water, maybe he’ll do more than ask nicely for it. Until then, I don’t think he really deserves to be so comfortable do you boys?” She’d gotten close and MacCready closed his eyes, refusing to let her see him panic. She huffed a laugh like she’d known and pulled back. “Untie him and hold him for me.” 

MacCready wanted to fight, wanted to claw their eyes out but the gunners watching from the second floor made him meek. As long as he was alive, he had a chance. The Boss would come for him. He would. So he stood, struggling just enough to make them work for it but not enough to merit a bullet.

Until she touched him. Then he went wild, trying to back away from her intimate hand placed on his chest. His head was shaking back and forth in a fever pitch and all he could say was one no after another. It didn’t stop her though, the men held him harder and a barrel pressing into his back stopped the physical struggle. Her hands didn’t leave him though, instead they pulled off his duster and somehow, in the process, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was tied back to his chair, his top half completely naked and her hot eyes staring at him. 

“Don’t worry Bobby, you can keep your pants for now. Soon though, soon you’ll have no choice but to give me what I want. I hear your brat is almost to Goodneighbor now, wonder if his guards are better than my men?” 

And his panic and terror followed her out the door, sadistic smile stretching. 

He slept at some point, or passed out from his trailing thoughts. He was hungry, gone passed the point of a rumble and into a hollow pain, sharp and cramping. His chest ached and he was so cold. It burned in his hands and he was concerned he wasn’t shivering anymore but his thoughts never stuck for long. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his lips were cracked and bloody. 

He wasn’t sure when she came back, if it was the same day or the next, time slipping in between his unconcious moments. Wasn’t even sure if she came in while he was unconscious or what the others did, watching him from the hole, truth be told and he tried not to think about it. Tried not to think about anything but the knowledge that his Boss wouldn’t leave him there. As soon as the big man found out he wasn’t at Goodneighbor, he’d come for him.

“You’ll never believe who just made it to Goodneighbor. He cried when he realized his daddy didn’t love him enough to even be there.” The words cut him, scattering his thoughts into the wind and he closed his eyes, hoping to drift again. Charon wouldn’t let anyone touch Duncan, not while he lived and there’s no way some shitty Gunners would get the drop on Al, they couldn’t. 

The pain jerked him out of his thoughts, sharp stabbing through his shoulder and he felt the blood burning a path, slow around the knife still embedded in his skin. 

“Fu...Frick.” He said, word dropping between clenched teeth. She smiled at him as she twisted the knife and he couldn’t stop the cry of pain. 

“I wonder how long it will take for him to realize his daddy will never come? Or until he tries to sneak out to find you. One step outside of Goodneighbor and he’ll be in a seat next to you unless you can convince me to leave him alone. I wanna know how you suck that vault dweller’s cock so good he treats you like a pampered pet instead of the trash you are.” The words fell out, peppered attacks in a smooth tone.

“Hadn’t sucked his cock.” MacCready forced out through clenched teeth, brows tight with pain.   
“He just like that sweet ass then?” And MacCready was done with it. Done with all of this bullshit.

“Listen, I know you think I’m hot shit but the Boss hadn’t touched me or fucked me or had me on my knees. He has standards unlike you, fishing at the bottom of the barrel with someone like me ain’t cha.” His words hissed out as the knife was forced deeper, her face red with rage. She yanked the knife out.

“We’ll try again later Bobby. When I come back, you might think a little more about Duncan and how you don’t want to see him in a chair next to you.” 

 

Time passed again, someone came in and forced more dirty water in his throat and he swallowed it. They gave him some radaway, needle slipping in with barely a noise. 

When she came back, MacCready was awake and coherent, his thoughts not drifting as much. His shoulder had stopped bleeding and he felt better, maybe they had given him part of a stimpack to keep him alive. The hollowness in his stomach still concerned him, he wasn’t sure he’d eaten anything in the days? How many days? he’d been here. His ribs were tender but not as bad as they had been. He’d been stuck in this damn chair except for a few times he’d been let up to use a bucket. 

“Going to behave Bobby or should I have my men spirit your brat out?” This time, there were no men watching and he was instantly afraid.

“You wouldn’t risk pissing off Hancock.” He said, hiding behind it but the look in her eyes made him doubt. 

“Trust me Bobby, I would.” And dam-danged if McCready didn’t believe her. She hit him, sharp punch to his stomach and kept going for another three strikes as he whined, trying to flinch away. She pulled away and grabbed the bat, hitting him again, laying strikes against his lap, against his chest, and both of his shoulders. Not hard enough to break anything no, just enough to hurt him and hurt him bad. He cried out finally, the pain forcing a wordless yell from tight clenched teeth and she smiled so dangerously.

“Now, I want you to do something for me. Something easy. If you behave, I won’t have my boys beat you black and blue and then collect your kid for me. He’s cute enough, if I train him right, he might even be better than his daddy when he grows up.” His heart thumped loudly and pain radiated his body but he nodded.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be good.” He choked out. No one was coming were they? They would have had to know he was missing by now, Daisy or someone would have told Tagg by now right? And he wasn’t there. And she was threatening Duncan. And MacCready was so damn hungry and tired. He hurt. 

“Tell me nicer.” And MacCready swallowed hard, teeth clicking.

“Please. I’ll be good.” The words were acidic, they burned.

“We’ll work on it.” She smiled; wide and frightening, and before he could react, she had two fingers in his mouth. He fought the urge to bite her fingers or gag. Instead, he let her probe his mouth, fingers digging into his tongue.

“Now Bobby, that’s no way to convince someone.” He swallowed reflexively and moved his tongue gently, trying to remember how to do this, it had been so long. He hadn’t had anyone before or since Lucy. 

“That’s better. But so shy. You really didn’t pay the vault dweller with your body. Hmm. I think that makes it more delicious. I’ll teach you, don’t worry.”

And MacCready couldn’t stop the whine around her fingers, terror sparking in him. She smiled and pulled her fingers out, wiping the saliva against his face. She pulled a needle out and primed it, looking at him with an eagerness that made him sick. 

“Don’t worry, this will just help relax you.” She injected it before he could respond and he felt all of his muscles go weak. He tried to clench his hand and it took so much effort, so much trying, to make it work. 

“Now, I want you to tell me you’ll be good. Do it right and I’ll give you a special treat.” MacCready shook reflexively, tiny motions betraying him, fear beating against his chest.

“I’ll be good. So good for you. Please. Let me be good for you.” And he hated himself and hated the words and hated her but tried so hard not to let it show. 

“Not good enough.” Her voice was tight with anger and he flinched instinctively. Then he realized what he had to do. He closed his eyes and thought about his Boss. Thought about that big frame, those kind eyes, his smile. He held that image in his mind, even when his eyes opened again. He could only see Tagg standing over him. He was tied to this chair and hurting for him, that was the only way he could do this. 

“Please, please Boss. Please, I wanna be good for you. Please, tell me how. I haven’t done this, not in years but I wanna do good for you. Boss please.” And she smiled. He saw it, dark and twisted and it almost ruined what he saw with his heart. She touched him again and he changed it in his mind to his hand, big and warm and he rubbed his face against it, just like he would have done if it was Tagg touching him. As if Tagg loved him too. As if Tagg wanted him too. 

“Good boy.” Her voice threw his mind, too high, too disgusting to him for him to change the words but he managed to keep the sensation, made it easier to press a soft kiss in rough calloused hands but not nearly as big or scarred as Tagg’s. 

She set out a purified water and some ragstag jerky and fed it to him in small bites. He took them carefully, licking occasionally at the fingertips to keep her feeding him. She was smiling the whole time and the food was twisting in his gut. The last piece she sat on her tongue, and she pulled it into her mouth. She leaned in and he realized what she wanted. He leaned forward and kissed her, hot tears streaming down his face as he licked gently at her lips in between sloppy kisses. Eventually she opened her mouth and he pulled the piece into his own mouth and she broke off the kiss. She did the same with the water, taking swallows and making him kiss her, licking into her mouth before she’d give him the mouthful of water. 

“Much better.” She looked at him and the heat in her eyes made the food turn even worse. She groped his body, reaching between his legs. His body hadn’t reacted, he guessed thanks to the medicine. When she grabbed him he whined, trying to move away from the pain and the touch. She looked at him sharply and she hit him across the face with enough force to jerk his head and bring the taste of blood back in his mouth. 

“We’ll have to work on that too.” Her words were dark. “Now, say thank you.” He pulled his picture up in his mind, holding on to it so he could find the words.

“Thank you Boss, thank you. So good to me Boss, thank you.” The words continued, some variation continuing in the same vein until he felt eyes on him again. It made him stop the words but he couldn’t look up. He didn’t want them to see the tear tracks, to see the swollen spot on his cheek.

“Now, let’s try one more thing and I won’t drag your son here yet.” She started unbuttoning her shirt and sat down on his lap and the tears started again. “Tell me what I want to hear.” He didn’t know the answer to that, didn’t know what she would want and he swallowed.

“Please Boss, I don’t know. Please, I haven’t done this much and I don’t know. Please help me.” He tried, tried to find the right words, tried to look at her and ignore the eyes peering into the hole. He vaguely wondered which of the Gunners would be so stupid and he flicked his eyes over and could barely control his reaction. The shock of red hair couldn’t be a Gunner and he leaned forward, pressing his mouth to hers to keep her focused on him. She pushed him back and he rolled his hips.

“You like that then? You like begging for me to take care of you?” She looked pleased and his eyes flickered to the shadows being cast by the lantern. Tagg was lowering himself silently down from the hole and MacCready could feel his heart stop. He leaned in to kiss her again and she pushed him back.

“Please Boss, yeah, please.” The words dripped out and he was looking at her but he really wasn't. And he certainly wasn’t talking to her. He was talking to the form that finally touched feet to the floor. He was watching a silent death coming on silent feet with a wicked knife. And when his arm shot out and a big hand covered her mouth and the blade sunk in between her ribs, he spat at her.

“You’d never be my boss.” And the gurgling sound she made was the sweetest music he’d heard in days. 

“Fuck Mac, shit. Let me get you up.” That wicked knife was wiped clean of the blood and sliced through the ropes holding him. He was pulled gently to his feet but his muscles wouldn’t hold him. He felt himself start to fall but the Boss caught him, lowering him back into the chair. The Boss’s big hands rubbing the blood flow back to his limbs. After a few minutes he paused, jerking up. “Stay right here.” His voice was firm and reassuring.

“Yeah, Boss.” The big man shuddered but was still before MacCready could ask, opening the door before sliding out. He didn’t hear anything but he stayed in his spot. He’d come. 

Tagg came back into the room a few moments later with MacCready's sniper rifle slung over his shoulder, carrying MacCready’s clothes and his duster and hat, long knife bloody again. He picked up the syringe and looked at it. 

“You know what she gave you?” He shook his head, arms wrapped tight around his frame. 

“I can move better now though.When she first gave it to me I could barely move my fingers.”

“Probably some cocktail then. I don’t feel comfortable giving you a stimpack until we see what this had in it.” He pulled out a piece of cork from one of his many pockets and stuffed the needle into it before putting the syringe into his backpack. “Do you think you can make it back to Goodneighbor?”

“Yeah Boss.” his words were tight and Tagg helped him into his clothes. Pulling the layers over his head and down his body when his hands didn’t want to cooperate. He dressed him carefully and MacCready felt like a doll but let himself be moved. He hurt so bad. 

“Damn Mac, how many shirts do you wear?” His voice was warm. 

“I get cold.” He said, sharing the reason for the first time and his Boss draped his scarf around his neck, sliding the duster up his arms and humming thoughtfully. 

“I’ll line your inner shirts and your pants when we get home. It’ll keep you warmer.” And MacCready almost cried with relief. They were going home and his Boss was here for him. 

“Duncan?” He asked, his voice shaking. 

“We are going there now, he’s still at Goodneighbor waiting on you. I think I’ve gotten everyone but I’d rather go back the way I came. Think you can handle it?” MacCready didn’t know if he could or not so he shrugged. 

“Okay.” Tagg pulled a harness system from his small backpack. He’d shown MacCready the harness when he’d made it, weaving together a bunch of different things to make it. MacCready had asked what it was and Tagg had shown him, explaining it made carrying people easier and he’d had one before the war but hadn’t found one since. So he made his own. 

He helped MacCready into it, pulling it on and positioning him where he wanted him. His arms were wrapped around a broad chest hands resting under the little backpack the Boss had turned to his front, legs hitched up and over hips. It was surprisingly comfortable as he sank into the bindings and let the Boss carry him especially with his own gun a reassuring weight on his shoulder.

He was so warm, pressed against a strong back and he made a noise low in his throat when he felt the muscles tensing as he grabbed the edges of the hole he climbed down. 

“Sorry Mac, just a bit more.” He shook his head, nose rubbing into the fabric of the Boss’s shirt.  
“It’s fine. Doesn’t hurt as much. Yer so warm.” His face stayed buried in his back, words a muffled tattoo against the man’s spine as he continued on, pulling them up and sneaking down the hall. He slipped through a window and dropped himself so carefully to the ground, grunting with the extra weight. 

He whistled, low and long and MacCready blinked and Dogmeat appeared. He must have been drifting again, time escaping him because the next thing he knew, there was a bottle of clean water in his mouth and he was sitting up and drinking and he wasn’t sure how he got here but he leaned into it. Then he was being put down on something soft and his heat was leaving and it was so cold and he jolted up, scared. 

And he saw Hancock and Daisy, and some doctor looking man he didn’t know and Deacon and there was the Boss, step frozen and MacCready grabbed his arm and pulled him with all of his strength. It was enough or he was off balanced enough that Tagg fell into him, catching himself with a strong arm and a knee before he landed on MacCready, body already falling back to the bed exhausted.

“No. Don’t go.” The words slipped out he thought, pain from his sudden movement overwhelming him again. He drifted again, warm and safe and something that smelled so damn good against his face. 

 

When he woke again, it was to a prick of pain and he lashed out, thrashing indiscriminately and strong bands of steel wrapped around him, trapping his arms and legs. Curses rang in the room and MacCready felt himself hyperventilating. 

“Mac! It’s okay, you’re at Goodneighbor, it’s okay.” And the voice soothed him. 

“Boss?” He rasped the words and the mouth of a bottle was at his mouth, strong arms supporting him into a leaning position against a thick warm chest. He drank the cool liquid and looked around the room. The doctor was still there, as was Deacon and Hancock. 

“It’s okay Mac. This is a doctor I know, he’s going to give you a stimpack and then he and Deacon have to get going okay? The doctor thinks you should sleep some and then we can see Duncan.” The voice was soothing and MacCready pushed himself back into the warmth.

“Okay Boss.” The words were easy and his eyes closed again. He felt the prick of the needle but it was more of a distant thing, resting with Tagg so close was easy. And he’d said he needed it, needed the shot and then a nap and he trusted him to know what he needed. 

When he woke up again, he was buried into the boss’s chest between two big arms bare back branded by the warmth, a long leg thrown over him, and his own legs rubbing against rough denim. He’d never felt so safe in his entire life. He looked up and saw Tagg’s face, hair messy around his face and perfect.

“Boss?” He asked, voice just a whisper. And Tagg rustled some, eyes blinking open before a big smile split across his lips. 

“There you are.” And MacCready smiled back. “The doc said you could get up when you woke up. He said the meds they’d given you should wear off. You ready to go see Duncan?” 

“Where’s my gear?” he asked, shifting away from the heat. 

“I had Daisy wash it for you. I got a different outfit if you want it instead. There’s some water on the counter with the cleanest washcloth and some soap too.” The words were soft but hit MacCready in the gut. He avoided looking at the clothes instead he scrubbed himself with the soap and water. He rinsed off the sweat and fear of the past couple of days and when he was done, he turned back to the clothes. He stood and looked at the jeans with a ridiculously clean Grognak shirt and his clothes, the same style he’d worn since he left Little Lamplight and started pulling the pieces on. He wouldn’t let her take this from him. 

When he was dressed, all his buckles and ammo belts replaced, he shot a smile at Tagg.

“I like the other shirt but, if I’m going to see my son, I wanna look like myself.”

And Tagg grinned and offered a hand.

“You look marvelous. Shall we?” And they stepped out of the room and MacCready realized it was one of the rooms in the Rexford and Tagg took him to a door on the same floor and rapped his fingers against the wood. The door opened and MacCready took a breath.

“Mungo.” he said instinctively and he smiled.

“Little shit.” The man said, nodding at him and letting them both in. On the other side of the door, Charon put his gun down.

“Former Mayor MacCready.” He said formally and MacCready laughed. And then he saw the boy and everything stopped.

He took a few deep breaths and the kid stared at him with wide eyes and MacCready was gone. An firm pressure at his back had him moving, pulling the kid to him and hugging him close.

“I missed you nugget.” His words were quiet, rough around the edges and his eyes filled with tears.

“Daddy.” The warm voice against his ear broke him, his tone was so much of his mother’s even now. He sank to the floor, sitting with his back against a bed, curled around the proof that Lucy was real and she loved him. The greatest thing he’d ever been involved in and he was in his arms again. Duncan allowed him a few minutes before he pulled away from him and walked up to Tagg.

He watched as Tagg dropped to a knee, not making the gesture look condescending, instead looking like he valued what the small child had to say and was making sure he wouldn’t miss a word. 

“Thank you for bringing my daddy back. I’m ready to go home now.” And MacCready felt his heart stutter when the Boss took the tiny hand his son had proffered and shook it solemnly. 

“Thank you for trusting me to bring him back. And yes, let’s go home.” They all slept in the same room that night, Duncan sleeping curled into MacCready and Tagg sitting at the head of the bed with Al and Charon on the other bed. They spoke late into the night and MacCready relaxed with the most important people in his life. 

 

The next morning he found himself setting off again, waving goodbye to Fahrenheit and Hancock and Daisy, a tiny hand gripping his and Al and Charon at his back and Dogmeat at his other side. Tagg was following, on his six as he would say and MacCready couldn’t think of a better way to travel. They walked through the day, Tagg carrying Duncan when his legs were tired and Duncan had even fallen asleep against his broad back for a couple of hours. And by the afternoon, they were there. 

Preston had made a welcoming committee and by the time they got through with the celebration and fed Duncan dinner, the poor boy was almost asleep on his feet. The Boss carried him upstairs after pointing out the spare bedroom for Al and Charon. He put him gently on his bed and MacCready covered him with a blanket after putting his bags down by the door from where he’d finally gotten them from Charon. 

The Boss dropped himself on the couch and MacCready didn’t resist, he sat next to him and rested his back against Tagg’s chest. He pulled his arms around him and put his hands in Tagg’s.

“Mac?”

A humming sound was all he got as MacCready shifted more.

“What are we doing here? Is this just needing comfort? Is this stress relief or because of what happened? I don’t want to hurt you.” His voice was soft and MacCready turned to him. 

“For once in my life, everything is going right and I have you to thank for it. I don’t think anyone in the world can ask for a greater gift then that.”

“Mac…”

“I know you’ve had a lot of things thrown at you and I know you miss Nora, she was your best friend and I won’t stop helping you find Shaun. But Taggert, you’ve saved me from myself. And being trapped like that, it made me think. For the first time in my life, I’m happy”

“What do you want?”

“Us. Together, you never getting too far from me, I like being close.” It was a whisper of a breath and MacCready shuddered with emotion. And there was a soft kiss, just a brushing of lips and Tagg stood up and cradled MacCready in his arms and carried him to bed, tucking him and laying with him. And they slept together, limbs tangled easily.


End file.
